Reaching the Top with Over 200 Keywords through SEO Promotion on Google Play and the App Store for Hubmee

In 2023, the number of app downloads reached 257 billion, and the release of new products continues. As a result, attracting user attention has become more challenging. The U.S. market, one of the most saturated, requires a special approach. So, how did the Hubmee app manage to break through the noise and secure leading positions on Google Play and the App Store?

Company Hubmee, realizing that a professional approach was necessary to capture the U.S. audience, turned to us. The goal was clear: get the app to the top of search results, increase installations, and attract the target audience.

What did we do? We developed and implemented a comprehensive promotion plan based on a thorough market and competitor analysis. Our team of SEO specialists for mobile apps applied a series of effective strategies, which led to Hubmee being featured for 115 key search queries on Google Play, while 15 queries reached the top 1 spot on the App Store. Think it took six months, a year? No, the collaboration lasted just 4 months.

In this case study, we’ll walk you through all the stages of our work, the strategies used, and why they were so effective. You’ll learn how to quickly and efficiently promote a mobile app in the U.S. market and which mistakes to avoid.

Brief about the Client

Hubmee is an innovative app designed to simplify users’ everyday lives. It offers a wide range of features, including task, finance, health, and relationship management.

Users just need to input the necessary information, and Hubmee automatically optimizes their schedule, reminds them of important events, and helps them achieve their goals.

Hubmee is perfectly suited for busy professionals, students, and anyone looking to optimize their time and boost productivity. It eliminates the need for multiple other apps, as Hubmee consolidates all essential functions in one place.

Key Project Results

In just 4 months of working with Luxeo, the Hubmee app made an impressive leap:

1. The number of installations increased 3.5 times.
2. Visibility in Google Play expanded to 115 search queries, with 4 of them reaching TOP 1.
3. Ranking in the App Store grew to 33 key search terms, with 15 reaching TOP 1.

Quality SEO promotion, based on in-depth market and competitor analysis, combined with a tailored client approach, initiated success. This comprehensive approach allowed us to achieve the set goals.

Client’s Problem

Despite its obvious utility, multifunctionality, and high usability, the Hubmee mobile app faced serious competition in the market. Low brand awareness and insufficient visibility in search results hindered the attraction of the target audience. Naturally, this was a problem for the developers, the visionary behind the project, and everyone involved. However, like most problems, this one was solvable.

Among the main objectives set by the client for the Luxeo team were:

1. Increase Hubmee’s visibility in app stores (Google Play and the App Store).
2. Increase page views and, consequently, installations in the U.S. market.
3. Drive traffic using white-hat methods.
4. Strengthen the position of our digital product among similar solutions.

At the same time, our focus was on three key queries: “personal manager,” “personal helper,” and “personal assistant.”

To achieve the goals, we developed and implemented a comprehensive marketing strategy, with a specific focus on geo-targeting. We will explain the reason for this geographic focus further.

Our Approach

Given the app’s focus on working with documents and payment systems in the U.S., expanding to other regions was not advisable. Attracting non-target traffic that would not convert into leads was of no interest. Therefore, the strategy we developed for promotion on Google Play and the App Store was narrowly focused on the U.S. market.

A team of professionals was involved in its implementation. Key players included:

1. Account manager, ensuring effective and seamless communication with the client.
2. ASO specialists, with deep expertise in mobile app search optimization.
3. Team leader, who kept everyone on track and coordinated daily tasks.

United by a common goal, the team members actively communicated, generating and exchanging ideas, which contributed to the ongoing development and improvement of the marketing strategy. Now, let’s discuss the most significant moments of it.

External Work

A significant part of the project involved constant analysis and comparison with leading competitors in the market. We carefully studied their visual solutions, tracked their positioning in app stores, analyzed usability levels, and much more. Therefore, the following actions were classified as external work.

In-Depth Competitor Analysis

Understanding the competitive environment was crucial for the successful launch of the app. We conducted an in-depth analysis of key competitors, studying their:

• strengths and weaknesses;
• marketing strategies;
• user reviews.

This helped us understand the necessary steps to take moving forward.

Since Hubmee was relatively new to the market and not yet well-developed, we decided to launch active marketing campaigns to quickly attract users. As part of this strategy, we launched campaigns to buy motivated traffic and reviews. Why? To compete in the early stages. When selecting keywords for promotion, we focused on queries related to top apps in our niche to create the effect of organic growth.

Alongside the traffic purchase, we actively worked with user reviews, responding to every comment and shaping a positive image of the app. We understood that both the quantity and quality of reviews play a significant role in the decision to download. Why? It’s simple: users pay attention not only to the rating but also to the number of reviews based on which that rating is formed.

Aggregated data on the ratings of Hubmee’s competitor Apps based on reviews

It’s one thing when an app’s rating of “5★” is backed by hundreds or thousands of reviews, and another when it has the same high rating but only a handful of reviews. Users can also find useful information in reviews, which can influence their decision to download.

Speaking about Hubmee, the app currently has a rating of “4.8★” on Google Play and “5★” on the App Store, based on 87 and 18 reviews, respectively. However, it is important to note that this is just the beginning, and the results are quite promising.

Design Recommendations

The visual identity of the app plays a key role in its success. Our specialists conducted a thorough analysis of competitors to identify current trends and the most effective visual solutions.

Example of competitor icons in Google Play

Based on the collected data, recommendations were formulated for:

• the design of icons, screenshots, and video materials in both stores;
• the selection of color palettes, stylistic choices, and overall composition.

The goal of these recommendations was to guide designers in creating a recognizable and attractive image for Hubmee, while ensuring it stands out against competitors.

Internal Work

Unlike external work, which focuses on creating the interface, design, and user interaction, internal work remains hidden from the user’s view. In this case, we paid special attention to optimizing Hubmee for search engines. This was done to increase the app’s relevance for key consumer queries and boost valuable traffic.

Semantic Core Collection

First, we conducted an in-depth interview with the client to understand their vision of the product and target audience. We asked clarifying questions about the key features of the app, its unique selling propositions, and the main problems the app solves. The completed project brief allowed us to create an initial list of relevant keywords. To expand the semantics, we used search suggestions. Additionally, by using specialized tools (AsoDesk, AsoMobile, KeyApp, etc.), we identified popular thematic queries and assessed the competition for each of them.

Special attention was given to analyzing the keywords of direct competitors. Using app monitoring services, we were able to study their top charts, user reviews, and advertising campaigns. This helped us determine the pool of queries for further work in each app store.

The division of semantics between Google Play and the App Store was based on differences in user behavior and ranking algorithms.

Example of semantic core for Google Play

Example of semantic core for the App Store

Although the results for collecting the core were similar, they differed in terms of query frequency and complexity. This is why preparing a unified strategy and artifacts for both Google Play and the App Store would have been a major mistake.

We continued to review both semantics every month, expanding them by using various techniques, including synonyms, related queries, long-tail keywords, and negative keywords to exclude irrelevant traffic.

Creating Technical Specifications for Meta Tags

After collecting the semantic core, we moved on to the next phase—properly filling out all fields in both stores. There is a significant difference not only in the keywords and their frequency but also in the indexing of these fields by the bots of Google Play and the App Store. Additionally, it’s important to:

• stay within the allowed character limits for the fields;
• avoid keyword spamming in tags.

After researching the features of the stores and differences in how Google Play and the App Store index content, we provided recommendations for optimizing the meta tags.

1. Google Play. We focused on filling out the title, short description, and full description fields. Special attention was given to the relevance of search queries to the app’s content.
2. App Store. We recommended optimizing the title, subtitle, and keyword optimization fields, considering that in the App Store, the relevance of keywords holds more weight than their quantity.

When selecting the title for both stores, we considered both our ASO analysis and the client’s preferences. Initially, we suggested using “to-do list” as the title to reflect the app’s core functionality. As ASO specialists, we saw that the app was primarily focused on to-do list features. However, the client positioned Hubmee as a personal manager with a much broader functionality (ranging from bill payments to coordinating family matters) and also included to-do list capabilities.

As a result, we reached a compromise and decided to use the more general term “digital planner,” which was sufficiently frequent and relevant for both Google Play and the App Store. Ultimately, the title became “Digital Planner – Hubmee.”

But that wasn’t the end. To achieve maximum efficiency, we regularly adjusted the meta tags, considering new keywords and algorithmic changes. This approach allowed us to continuously improve the app’s visibility in the app stores.

Results

Despite the relatively short collaboration period of just four months, Hubmee and Luxeo managed to achieve impressive results. This further proves that the success of a project depends not on the duration of the work, but on the intensity and effectiveness of the efforts invested.

Thus, from April 2023 to July 2023, we were able to:

1. Increase the total number of app downloads by 3.5 times.

Growth dynamics of App popularity among users during the promotion period

2. Significantly expanded Hubmee’s visibility in Google Play search results:

• In the first month of promotion, the app ranked for 23 keywords, with most positions in the TOP 30 and TOP 100.
• After 4 months, the app was listed for 115 search queries, with 4 keywords in TOP 1, 5 in TOP 10, and an additional 22 keywords in TOP 30.

Keyword ranking distribution in Google Play during the promotion period

Dynamics of keyword ranking changes in Google Play during the promotion period

Dynamics of keyword growth in Google Play at the start and end of the project

3. Maximized Hubmee’s organic reach in the App Store:

• At the end of the first month, the app ranked for 11 keywords, with 5 in TOP 1.
• After 4 months, the app ranked for 33 keywords, with 15 of them in leading positions.

Dynamics of keyword ranking changes in the App Store during the promotion period

Dynamics of keyword growth in the App Store at the start and end of the project

In simple terms, in just 4 months, our team helped Hubmee reach the top rankings for over 200 keywords across both app stores. But we won’t leave without revealing an interesting detail.

• In Google Play, we employed a strategy of gradual position growth. Here’s how this mechanism worked for the keyword “digital smart planner”:

Once we achieved leading positions for this keyword, the number of organic installs significantly increased, allowing us to optimize advertising campaigns.

In the App Store, the situation is slightly different. While it’s easier to push an app to the top here, positions are less stable and require constant monitoring. Here’s an example with the search query “to do list & task manager”:

It was enough to acquire just 5 targeted installs for the keyword to reach the TOP and begin organic growth.

Our ongoing strategy focuses on expanding the list of keywords and strengthening Hubmee’s positions in the top charts of both app stores. We plan to continue experimenting with various marketing

Conclusion

Promoting a new mobile application with low traffic and a small number of reviews in a competitive niche is a task that requires a comprehensive approach and professionalism. Despite all challenges, the Luxeo team managed to find the key to solving Hubmee’s project issues.

We increased app installations by an astounding 250%, with 4 key queries reaching TOP 1 in Google Play and +10 in the App Store, where maintaining top positions is much more challenging – all in just 4 short months. As a result, the number of interested users grew significantly, not only those downloading the app but also those actively using it regularly.

Curious about what we can do for your project? Contact our manager to discuss promotional opportunities.